The Garmin Venu 3, the latest in Garmin's series of fitness-oriented smartwatches, takes the successful aspects of the remarkably accomplished Venu 2 Plus, introduced in 2022, and includes enhanced features. These new improvements encompass sophisticated sleep monitoring capabilities and a more advanced heart-rate sensor. Offered in two sizes, Venu 3 is available as a standard model with a 45mm diameter and a smaller 41mm diameter variant called the Venu 3S, which I had the chance to examine. Its design bears close resemblance to the Venu 2 Plus, where a round resin case is complemented with a stainless steel bezel. There are three tactile buttons located on the right-hand side and a miniature microphone grille on the opposite side.

This design layout enables you to engage with your smartphone's virtual assistant or answer phone calls without needing to pick up the device. Surprisingly, this feature is extremely useful. In my case, having the convenience of Google Assistant on my wrist meant I interacted with it far more frequently than I normally would. To launch the app on your phone, simply press and hold the middle button on the watch. The device is equipped with a noticeably bright AMOLED touch-screen display.

Strangely, the brightness is set at level two by default, out of a maximum of three levels. Though increasing the brightness to its peak may substantially deplete the battery, the screen does automatically return to a lower brightness level after a brief delay, unless a different setting is chosen, thus helping to offset the increased power consumption. The screen response to touch inputs is prompt and I did not experience any lag when viewing different content on the watch. The screen complements the buttons well, navigating the menus is efficient and intuitive.

Dissimilar to many other recent offerings from Garmin, the Venu 3 does not include an LED flashlight embedded in the top of the case. On the back of the case, you will find Garmin's newest optical heart rate sensor, featuring more light detectors spread out over a larger area, resulting in improved accuracy. Though the sensor protrudes slightly from the back of the case, I did not find contact with the skin to be uncomfortable at all, and in fact, it affords an efficient connection with your skin throughout. The Venu 3 is compatible with Garmin’s ECG app although, at the time of my evaluation, it was not available for users in the UK.

I have personally always considered the Venu series to be very successful at combining the smart and sports watch aspects seamlessly. If you find yourself trying to decide between devices like an Apple Watch or a Pixel Watch and a Garmin device, the Venu series offers an excellent compromise. I was impressed with the Venu 2 Plus and the Venu 3 followed suit. It ranks highly in Garmin’s range in terms of size, with its 3S variant being one of their most compact offerings that include a built-in GPS receiver.

This feature enables the watch to measure both distance and pace with high accuracy independently, as opposed to relying on your smartphone. According to my experience, the Venu 3 secured a GPS lock-in within just a few seconds and was only short by 20m when mapping my pre-plotted 5km route while testing. Considering the route is based on actual roads rather than a standardized track, I find this minor discrepancy acceptable, which corresponded exactly with the figure obtained by the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Venu 3 has a reasonable battery life, supporting up to 14 days of power in smartwatch mode, though this can be greatly reduced if all the sensors are in use.

One of the biggest disadvantages of the Venu series generally, and of the Venu 3 specifically, is the absence of built-in maps, which I always find disappointingly restrictive. The screen interface seems ideal for navigation, though, for that, you would need to switch to the substantially bulkier Forerunner. Despite its limitations, I was surprised that the Venu 3 can support workout plans created through apps like TrainingPeaks. Additionally, the Venu 3’s strengths lie in its recovery guidance tools. It provides the capability for nap tracking, also giving personalized advice for suggested sleep durations. Though not yet available on the Venu 3S, nap tracking has proven to be efficient in recognizing short daytime rest periods.